It is hard to believe that the first seven weeks of the school year has already flown by! Our classrooms are filled with energy, and our students and staff have settled back into standard routines. Out on the field and court, our fall athletic teams are well into their seasons. We encourage parents, families, and community members to come out, support our student-athletes, and show your Night Hawk pride!
We are extremely excited to host North Dakota State Superintendent Levi Bachmeier. He will visit Scranton Public School the morning of October 16th. We are excited to share the wonderful things taking place at our school. We will put together a roundtable of parents and community members to meet with Mr. Bachmeier to discus our vision for what we believe K-12 education should look like in North Dakota and the resources we may need to make this vision a reality.
Our annual budget hearing was held in accordance with North Dakota Century Code (NDCC 57-15-01.1) to maintain full fiscal transparency with our community. We are pleased to share that Scranton Public School remains in a strong, stable financial position, ending FY26 with healthy reserve funds to support ongoing educational success. Furthermore, our total local tax levy stands at 89.01 mills, which remains well below the North Dakota state average of 108.72 mills. We appreciate our community's continued support in investing in our school and students.
At Scranton Public School our priorities are on student outcomes. We are using our tax dollars to make sure our educational system is strong. We have been updating curriculum, providing instructional coaches for our teachers, and most importantly making sure our staff is compensated for their hard work. We may not have the state of the art athletic facilities, but we do keep our facilities in great condition. We have a building that was built in 1961, so we have been updating water and sewer systems, lighting systems for optimal classroom learning, and flooring where it is needed. We will have more building projects to come, but the focus is always on readying our students for their futures.
We are thrilled to announce a new addition to our North Dakota High School Activities Association (NDHSAA) extra-curricular offerings this year: One-Act Play! Participating in theater provides students with fantastic opportunities to build confidence, public speaking skills, and creative expression. We look forward to seeing our talented cast and crew take the stage and showcase their hard work later this season. We are excited that Miss Alyssa Buckman wanted to get this activity going in Scranton. This will take place this November. It is not replacing the JR Class Play, however that play has been moved to the Spring.
Mark your calendars for Homecoming Week! We have an exciting lineup of events scheduled for October 5th through October 9th.
Dress-Up Days: Monday, October 5th – Friday, October 9th. The themes are:
Monday: Rhyme w/o Reason
Tuesday: BBQ Dads vs. Soccer Moms
Wednesday: Pink Day
Thursday: It's not Thursday...
Friday: Theme Day
King & Queen Coronation: Monday, October 5th at 7:30 PM.
Home Volleyball Game: Tuesday, October 6th vs. Grant County in Hettinger.
Home Football Game: Friday, October 9th vs. Beach at Hettinger. Kickoff 6:00 PM
Come out and help us celebrate Homecoming Week!
We love taking the time to recognize our hardworking students! The August/September Student Spotlight honors High School: Positive Community Members. This recognition is based on specific criteria; we look for a student who:
Contributes positively to school culture.
Welcomes and includes others.
Demonstrates school pride without putting others down.
Supports classmates and staff.
Helps make school a better place to be.
A good nomination example is a student who consistently welcomes younger students, helps classmates, or contributes positively without needing recognition. Congratulations to our honorees for starting the school year off on such a high note. Keep up the great work!
To continuously elevate the learning experience for our youngest learners, Scranton Public School has implemented two new core curriculums for grades K–3 this school year:
Reading: SuperKids — a comprehensive, phonics-based language arts program designed to build strong reading, writing, and comprehension foundations.
Math: Savvas Learning — an engaging mathematics program that fosters problem-solving, critical thinking, and mathematical understanding.
Our K–3 teachers and students are already enjoying these dynamic new resources!
Another couple of reminders:
NO SCHOOL - October 21-23 - NDCEL/Teacher's Convention
October 28 - Parent Teacher conferences - 3:30-8:30
As we move further into the school year, our primary focus remains centered on meaningful student growth—academically, socially, and emotionally. We are dedicated to meeting each student where they are, setting high expectations, and providing the tailored support needed for everyone to succeed. Thank you to our parents and community for your partnership in making Scranton Public School a place where students thrive every day!